Review - Where I Belong by Mary Downing Hahn

Where I Belong
by Mary Downing Hahn
Publisher: Clarion Books
Pub. Date: September 2, 2014
ISBN: 978-0544230200
Pages: 240
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

One of the best children book authors is Mary Downing Hahn. The first book I read by her was Closed For The Season a couple of years ago. Now everytime I come across one of her older titles at a thrift store, I make sure to buy it.

Her newest book Where I Belong was published last spring and centers on Brendan Doyle, an unpopular young man who doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of his classmates. He is bullied everyday and he is treated poorly by his foster-mother and teachers.

Brendan distracts himself by hiding in books and takes many hobbies, including carving and drawing. He is basically a daydreamer looking for a way to escape his life. While walking in the woods, he comes across a man and he comes to conclusion that this man is the magical Green Man, the guardian spirit of the forest.

Review - The Doll Graveyard

The Doll Graveyard
Hauntings Series
by Lois Ruby
Publisher: Scholastic
Pub. Date: June 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-0545617864
Pages: 256
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

I have always preferred reading printed novels over eBooks, which is probably one of the reasons why I had forgotten this children book was on my Kindle until I stumbled upon it last week.

The Doll Graveyard is written by Lois Ruby and centers on Shelby and Brian Tate, whom have just moved into the Cinder Creek house. This isn't just an ordinary house as the kids start to believe it is haunted. Strange cries can be heard throughout the night and objects suddenly move on their own.

All of this probably has something to do with the fact that there is a graveyard in their backyard. The oddest thing about the graves is that they are extremely tiny, as if the graves were meant for dolls.

DVD Review - Salsa Dance Workout

Salsa Dance Workouts
Studio: DanceCrazy.com
Release Date: January 1, 2008
Retail: $39.99
ASIN: B000FP2T0Y
Running Time: 106 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

If you have been following my blog regularly for the last few months, then you have probably noticed that I have been reviewing several learn-to-dance type DVDs.

While the other DanceCrazy DVDs that I have tried out were strictly learn-to-dance for beginners, this workout is suppose to be a full-blown workout that is suppose to help you lose weight and get fit. Similar to other the dancing workouts, there is only one male and one female instructors that shows you step-by-step how to do each move. The workout features music from Benny Velarde y SuperCombo and Anthony Blea y su Charanga.

The Salsa Dance Workout is split into different sections with a 19 minute Stretching and Isolation warmup, Beginners Footwork: Salsa Basics (20 mins), Intermediate Footwork: Breakdown (30 mins), Intermediate Workout with Music (30 minutes) and a 7 minute bonus workout.

Book Blogger Hop: January 30th - February 5th

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<a href="http://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com/p/blog-page.html" title="Book Blogger Hop"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOt0RYgWPUQnf3kA-v0oo7K3M_XUCRXnIqgD6TQq_AZvF1io_cpJBMsdw2qofrClgPPfmnXyED93umw7C5kkLx6I3MIqblMUgmtivsTfG2f07cyAcBoy-0WvVTtOjK5TUmJEaQ9EtDFUA/s1600/book+blogger+hop+.png" alt="Book Blogger Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
<br>

Welcome to the new Book Blogger Hop!

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

What to do:

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

  This week's question is submitted by Elizabeth!

Do you ever get comments from authors when you have posted or tweeted your review?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

  

My Answer: 

I have had a few author stop by my blog during a book blog tour and they would thank me for the review or guest post that I had published. There have also been a few Christian writers that have stopped by my blog and left a comment on my reivew of one of their books. 

Linky List:

Mighty Bright Recharge LED Booklight Review

I'm positive that almost every bookworm has one or two book lights around their nightstand. And most likely they probably either received it as a gift or they received it as a freebie when they had ordered a book. I have several of the these book lights on my nightstand. Some of them are very cheap made, but a few others are pretty decent.

Now available to own is the Mighty Bright is the Recharge LED Booklight. Yes, I said it is rechargeable!

I'm sure many of you have gotten a little upset when your booklight's batteries went dead and not all of us keeps extra AAA batteries on hand. The Mighty Bright Recharge LED Booklight has two bright LED lights. It has two different settings - Low and High. On Low the battery will last 16 hours and on High the battery will last 13 hours. The booklight comes with a Micro USB recharging cable, which you can attach to your laptop or desktop to recharge the booklight. The recharge time is only 1 hour!

The booklight comes in purple, teal, blue, white and black. The LED will last up to 100,000 hours, so basically you'll never have to replace it. It is made from durable Silicone and ABS plastic, so this way the neck of the light is flexible. It also features a sturdy clip that you can attach to the pages of your book.

Blu-ray Review - Porco Rosso

Porco Rosso
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Voice Cast: Michael Keaton, Cary Elwes, Kimberly Williams-Pasiley, Susan Egan, David Ogden Stiers and Brad Garrett
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: February 3, 2015
Retail: $36.99
ASIN: B00PYAE2GE
Running Time: 93 minutes
Rating: PG
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack on Tuesday February 3, 2015 is the 1992 Japanese animated film Porco Rosso. The film was directed by Hayao Miyazaki and features the American voice-cast of Michael Keaton, Cary Elwes, Kimberly Williams-Pasiley, Susan Egan, David Ogden Stiers and Brad Garrett. Bonus Features include Behind The Microphone, Original Japanese Storyboards, Original Japanese Trailers and an Interview With Toshio Suzuki.

Based on the a three-part watercolor manga,  Hikōtei Jidai, by Hayao Miyazaki, Porco Rosso centers on an Italian World War I ex-fighter pilot named Marco. After a curse was cast upon him that made him look like an anthropomorphic pig, he became a bouny hunter and took the name Porco Rosso (Red Pig).

He is known to help strangers who are need and that is exactly what he does when a band of pirates known as the Mamma Aiuto gang attack a ferry liner. Porco (voiced by Michael Keaton) uses his unique flying skills to put a stop to the pirates, well, for the time being anyway. Before long, Porco heads off on a mission in Milan, but is shot down by the gang's leader, Donald Curtis (voiced by Cary Elwes).

Review - A Stitch in Crime

A Stitch in Crime
Quilts of Love Series
by Cathy Elliott
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Pub. Date: January 20, 2015
ISBN: 978-1426773655
Pages: 240
Buy Link: Amazon
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/celliott

Review:

Last year I read several novels in the Quilts of Love Series from Abingdon Press. Each book in the series is written by a different author with a new plot and a whole new set of characters. And every plot somehow has a quilt or a quilt-maker involved.

A Stitch in Crime by Cathy Elliott is the newest installment in the series. It centers on Thea James, who has a big task at hand when she volunteers to co-chair her town's first quilt show. She thought it would be a great way to expand her antique business, but she is in for quite a surprise when a crime occurs. Someone attacks the town's matriarch Mary-Alice Went worth and steals her diamond brooch.

To make matters worse the quilt show's main attraction, a rare quilt, has gone missing. Everything seems to be falling apart. Thea James is determined to pick up the threads by solving the mystery of who is behind these crimes before she becomes the next victim.

Monday Morning Maddness #50: Books, Halestorm & Into the Woods

I wasn't planning on writing a Monday morning post today, but then I noticed this would be my 50th post, so here I am writing this. I'm glad to say that I finally adjusted my workouts schedule as I exercised before10 AM instead of after 10 PM. I would've done my workout earlier, but I slept in for some odd reason this morning.

My weekend mostly consisted of me attempting to get caught up on reviews, which I'm sadly still behind on. It probably doesn't help that I signed up to review some more products. Actually, I believe I'll be receiving more packages in the mail today. By the way my local post office delivered another package yesterday, which was a Sunday. I was aware they were delivering on Sundays around the holidays, but I thought that had ended a few weeks ago. I guess I was wrong.

Whenever I need a light break from reviewing stuff, I hop on over to YouTube and watch music videos. This is where I stumbled upon the rock band Halestorm and took a liking to their music. On Saturday, I looked for their CDs at my local Walmart, but their music section is so small it is just ridiculous. However, while I was walking down an aisle I glanced over at the $5 CD bin and lo and behold, right there on top of the stack was a Halestorm album. I automatically grabbed it and search through the bin for their other album, but that was the only Halestorm CD in the bin.

I still had a $50 gift card leftover from Christmas which I was planning on buying the Games of Thrones Season 4 DVD next month, so I ended up using it to order Halestorm: The Strange Case Of... for $5.99. I also pre-ordered the new V.C. Andrews book that comes out this week and of course I pre-ordered the Games of Thrones Season 4 DVD.

Organic Matcha Culinary Green Tea Powder Review

If you're one of my regular blog readers, then you've probably noticed I just reviewed a green tea dietary supplement today and are probably wondering why I'm wondering why I'm reviewing another green tea product. Well, the truth is that I love green tea just as much as coffee and I will review any type of green tea product that comes my way.

A few days ago I received the 4oz bag of Organic Matcha Culinary Green Tea Powder! As you might already know, green tea is high in antioxidants (1,300), which is good for your body.

Some of the benefits of drinking this green tea powder are:

Enhanced Focus & Memory

Fat Blocker & Calorie Burner

Stimulates Metabolism

DVD Review - Frankenstein vs The Mummy

Frankenstein vs The Mummy
Director: Damien Leone
Starring: Max Rhyser, Ashton Leigh, Brandon DeSpain, Constantin Tripes, Robert MacNaughton
Studio: Image Entertainment
Release Date: February 10, 2015
Retail: $27.98
ASIN: B00P8LS5PI
Running Time: 114 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Throughout the 1930s and the 1940s, Universal Studios released many monster movie series, including Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy and The Wolf Man. The films became so popular that the studios eventually made three crossover matchups (Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man, House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula). The unrelated House Of The Wolf Man was releaed in 2009. Image Entertainment will unleashed Frankenstein vs The Mummy on DVD and Digital Download on February 10th! The film was written and directed by Damien Leone and stars Max Rhyser, Ashton Leigh, Brandon DeSpain, Constantin Tripes and Robert MacNaughton. The only Special Feature is an Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Damien Leone and Cinematographer George Steuber.

Frankenstein Vs. The Mummy centers on an Egyptiologist Naihla Khaul (played by Ashton Leigh), who returns to the Univeristy along the mummy of an Egyptian pharoah that she discovered. She is reunited with her on and off again lover, Dr. Victor Frankenstein (played by Max Rhyser), who is secretly performing dangerous experments in his attempt to re-animate a corpse.

While examining the mummy, Professor Walton (played by Boomer Tibbs) is accidently exposed to a gas-like substance that allows the mummy (played by Brandon deSpain) to take control of him. He helps the mummy gain strength by luring innocent victims towards the mummy, whom devours their flesh. After seeing a photo of Dr. Khaul, the mummy is convinced that she is the sorcerer that cursed him years ago and the mummy is determined to extract his revenge.

Book Blogger Hop: January 23rd - 29th

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<a href="http://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com/p/blog-page.html" title="Book Blogger Hop"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOt0RYgWPUQnf3kA-v0oo7K3M_XUCRXnIqgD6TQq_AZvF1io_cpJBMsdw2qofrClgPPfmnXyED93umw7C5kkLx6I3MIqblMUgmtivsTfG2f07cyAcBoy-0WvVTtOjK5TUmJEaQ9EtDFUA/s1600/book+blogger+hop+.png" alt="Book Blogger Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
<br>

Welcome to the new Book Blogger Hop!

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

What to do:

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

  This week's question is submitted by Elizabeth!

How do you feel when someone continues to put the EXACT same comment on your blog each week?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

  

My Answer: 

It doesn't bother me at all as I know he or she is busy visiting other blogs.

Linky List:

Review - Hidden Agenda by Lisa Harris

Hidden Agenda
Southern Crimes, book 3
by Lisa Harris
Publisher: Revell
Pub. Date: January 6, 2015
ASIN: 978-0800721923
Pages: 320
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

I took a slight break after Christmas from reading/reviewing books and I'm now I'm back at full steam, so you'll be seeing me featuring more book titles on here in the next couple of weeks.

While it may seem a little bit odd for a male to like reading romance novels, but romance is in fact one of my favorite genres in the literature world. Typically, I prefer to read historical romances, but I thought I would try something new by reading the modern day romantic suspense Hidden Agenda by author Lisa Harris. I wasn't aware when I signed up to review the title through Revell that this was the third book in the Southern Crimes series as I don't care for jumping into the middle of a series without reading the prior novels, but luckily for me this is more of a standalone tale.

Hidden Agenda centers a Michael Hunt, a cop who has left his family and friends believe that he is dead in order to go deep undercover for the past eight months. All his hard work becomes in jeopardy when his cover is blown. Now injured, he is only hope for help is Olivia Hamilton, who happens to be the daughter of the man he has been trying to take down. To make matters even worse, the cartel have put a bounty on his head. Plus, seeking help for the Atlanta police department will do him no good as the department is corrupted. And of course Michael has to deal with his unexpected feeling for Olivia.

Blu-ray - A Walk Among The Tombstones

A Walk Among The Tombstones
Director: Scott Frank
Starring: Liam Neeson
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: January 13, 2015
Retail: $34.98
ASIN: B00NQE6X3A
Running Time: 114 minutes
Rated: R
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Now available to own on Blu-ray is the thriller A Walk Among The Tombstones. The film is directed by Scott Frank and stars Liam Neeson. Special Features include A Look Behind the Tombstone and Matt Scudder: Private Eye (Blu-ray Exclusive).

Based on the 1992 crime novel of the same name by Lawrence Block, A Walk Among The Tombstones centers on an ex-NYPD cop Matthew Scudder (played by Liam Neeson), who happens to be eight years sober, spending his days as a private detective. Though Matthew was hesitant at first, he agrees to find out who killed the wife of Kenny Kristo (played Dan Stevens) and bring the men responsible to him.

With the occasional help from a street kid TJ (played by Brian "Astro" Bradley), Matthew begins to unravel the crime that leads to other victims. Out of nowhere, the murderers kidnap the daughter, Lucia (played by Danielle Rose Russell), of a drug trafficker and they demand a ransom. Fearing the worst, Matthew takes charge of the situation, leading him into a direct path with the murderers.

Blu-ray Review - Lucy

Lucy
Director: Luc Besson
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman
Studio: Universal Home Entertainment
Release Date: January 20, 2015
Retail: $34.99
ASIN: B00M25EALG
Running time: 90 minutes
Rated: R
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray and DVD on Tuesday January 20, 2015 is the blockbuster science fiction action film Lucy. The film is directed by Luc Besson and stars Scarlett Johnansson and Morgan Freeman. Special Features include Cerebral Capacity: The True Science of Lucy and The Evolution of Lucy (Blu-ray Exclusive).

Scarlett Johnasson plays Lucy, a young woman who is forced to deliver a suitcase to a businessman in Taipei, Taiwan. She is already scared to death to begin with and even more when is forced into smuggling a new drug called CPH4. She wakes up with a bag of the drugs sewed into her abdomen. She is suppose to hop on a plane and travel to Europe to deliver the drugs to a buyer. However, nobody expected the bag to leak, causing the CPH4 to seep into your system.

The drug gives Lucy the ability to access her cerebral capacity, which enhances her strength, increases her intelligence and gives her superpowers such as telekinesis, mental time travel and telepathy. She is able to use her new powers to escape the drug lord's men, but as the minutes pass, her cerebral capacity keeps growing. After some quick research, she figures out that she only has a day or so left to live. She seeks out the other CPH4 bags in the attempt to keep her alive long enough to meet Professor Samuel Norman (played by Morgan Freeman), a scientist who has been researching the cerebral capacity myth for over 20 years. Dr. Norman may might be the only person who can save Lucy before she disintegrates.

Computer Crashes & More Great Finds

Yep, it is another Saturday, which is supposed to be a day of rest...or is that supposed to be on Sunday. It doesn't matter as I have been busy today, on Saturday, writing a few reviews, and this was after running a few errands this morning.

Of course one of the errands was stopping by the thrift store and buying three book. Yeah, I already know that the last thing I need is another book, but I can't turn down a good bargain.

So, what books did I get?

Dead After Dark

by Sherrilyn Kenyon, J.R. Ward, Susan Squires and Dianna Love

The Shadowed Onyx

by Nicole O'Dell

Fire in the Night

by Linda Byler

DVD Review - Paddington Bear: Collector's Edition

Paddington Bear: Collector's Edition
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: Novemer 25, 2014
Retail: $14.98
ASIN: B00MNOLC8K
Running Time: 10 hrs. 45 mins.
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Available now to own on DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment is the Paddington Bear Collector's Edition. The 3-disc set features all 56 episodes from the 1975 -1979 Paddington series, 3 Half-Hour Specials and 13 episodes from The Adventures of Paddington Bear.

The basic plot of Paddington Bear involves the Brown family finding Paddington sitting with a suitcase at the Paddington Railway Station in London. The bear has a note on his coat that says, "Please look after this bear. Thank you." The Brown family takes the bear to their home at 32 Windsor Gardens to live with them.

Disc One: Paddington - Episodes 1-44 - Please Look After This Bear; A Bear In Hot Water; Paddington Goes Underwater; A Shopping Expedition; Paddington and the Old Master; A Spot of Decorating; A Family Group; Paddington Makes a Bid; Do-It-Yourself; A Disappearing Trick; Something Nasty in the Kitchen; Trouble at the Launderette; Too Much Off the Top; A Visit to the Dentist; Paddington Cleans Up; Trouble at No. 32; Paddington and the Christmas Shopping; Paddington's Christmas; Mr. Curry Takes a Bath; Paddington Turns Detective; Paddington and the Cold Snap; Trouble at the Wax Works; Paddington Makes a Clean Sweep; A Sticky Time; Paddington Hits the Jackpot; Paddington His Out; A Visit to the Hospital; Paddington Recommended; Fortune Telling; An Unexpected Party; Paddington in Court; Paddington Bakes a Cake; A Picnic on the River; Paddington's Patch; In and Out of Trouble; Paddington at the Tower; A Visit to the Bank; Paddington Clears the Coach; Picture Trouble; Trouble at the Beach; Keeping Fit; Paddington in the Hot Seat; Paddington and the Mystery Box; and Paddington's Puzzle.

Disc Two: Paddington - Episodes 45 - 56 - Paddington Weighs In; Paddington Takes a Ship; A Visit to the Theatre; Paddington Buys a Share; Paddington in a Hole; Paddington and the Finishing Touch; Trouble in the Bargain Basement; An Outing in the Park; Paddington Dines Out; Paddington Takes the Stage; Paddington in Touch; and Comings and Goings at No. 32. Television Specials - Paddington Goes to the Movies (1980); Paddington Goes to School (1984); and Paddington's Birthday Bonanza (1986).

Book Blogger Hop: January 16th - 22nd

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com/p/blog-page.html" title="Book Blogger Hop"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOt0RYgWPUQnf3kA-v0oo7K3M_XUCRXnIqgD6TQq_AZvF1io_cpJBMsdw2qofrClgPPfmnXyED93umw7C5kkLx6I3MIqblMUgmtivsTfG2f07cyAcBoy-0WvVTtOjK5TUmJEaQ9EtDFUA/s1600/book+blogger+hop+.png" alt="Book Blogger Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
<br>

Welcome to the new Book Blogger Hop!

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

What to do:

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

  This week's question is submitted by Elizabeth!

Do you feel comfortable enough approaching a stranger when you see he/she is reading a book to ask what they are reading?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

  

My Answer: 

Yeah, I would be a little uncomfortable asking a complete stranger what they are reading. I don't see very many people reading printed books as normally they are reading from their smart phone or Kindle. It is none of my business what they are reading.

Linky List:

Thursday Ramblings: Reviews & Workouts

 
I can hardly believe that it is already Thursday or the tiny fact that it has been over four years since my last Thursday Ramblings post! I guess the week just flew by quickly because I have been busy with writing reviews and making sure I keep my New Year's Resolution, which is to exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Well, tonight I definitely went over my minimum requirements by finishing a 90 minute workout. I guarantee that I'm going to be a bit sore in the morning.

My desk area is a complete mess right now with books, audiobooks and products stacked up that I need to review. Plus, there are a few other review stuff on the floor. It probably doesn't help much that I have other things coming in the mail to review. The mail carrier must think I'm either rich or nuts because of all the packages I get every week. The truth is that I very seldom ever actually order anything anymore as most of the packages I receive are for review purposes on this blog or on Amazon.com.

Speaking of mail, I found a FedEx slip on my door a few hours ago. It says that they stopped by at 4:15 and nobody was home to sign for a package. Well, here is the thing, I was home! I was in the kitchen popping popcorn to snack on over the weekend. I can easily hear the doorbell from the kitchen, but I never heard it go off. I got a feeling that the the FedEx guy lightly knocked on the screen door and expected me to hear it. Anyway, now I have to wait around to sign for a mysterious package tomorrow.

Review - Learn To Dance: Merengue - Beginning and Intermediate

Learn To Dance: Merengue - Beginning and Intermediate
Studio: DanceCrazy.com
Release Date: April 24, 2007
Retail: $39.95
ASIN: B000P28UFU
Running Time: 102 minutes
Rating: NR
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

With all the dancing reality series on television, it is a no-brainer why learning to dance and other dancing workout DVDs are so popular today. These types of DVDs are an easy way for an individual or couple to learn how to dance in the comfort of their own home.

Recently, I have been trying out several of these types of programs from DancyCrazy and the latest one I have been experimenting with is called Learn To Dance: Merengue - Beginning and Intermediate.

Merengue is a blend of dance and music from the Dominican Republic. Of course eventually this style of music reached the United States and continued to be popular with dancers.

This DVD has a male and a female instructor who gives you a step-by-step guide on how to learn the basic moves for the Merengue. You'll learn the Basics, Beginning Patterns and Intermediate Patterns.

DVD Review - At Death's Door: 13 Fright-Filled Films

At Death's Door: 13 Fright-Filled Films
Starring: Vincent Price, John Carradine, Barbara Steele, Jack Nicholson
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: January 13, 2015
Retail: $9.98
ASIN: B00OU4MT6U
Running Time: 18 hours 8 minutes
Rating: Not Rated / R
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on a 3-disc DVD set tomorrow from Mill Creek Entertainment is At Death's Door: 13 Fright-Filled Films starring Leslie Den Doven, Alan Scarfe, Kay Hawtrey, Christine Moore, Rosie Holotik, Barbara Steele, John Caradine, Evelyn Stewart, Richard Carlson, John Hudson, Vincent Price, Jack Nicholson and Walter Brandi.

Yes, this type of horror collection will find it's way into the $5 bin at Walmart and if you already own a few of them, then you've probably have seen most of the films in this set. Most of these movies are in the public domain, except for a few that are from Crown International Pictures, Inc., so the picture quality of the films aren't exactly the best.

A major highlight in this set is the underrated 1980 horror flick Funeral Home (93 mins; Rated R) about a young woman spending the summer at her grandmother's to help turn the farmhouse into a bed & breakfast, but then a few of the guests turn up dead. The young woman starts to investigate the strange sounds coming from the basement and discovers a family secret. Despite an R rating, the film's violence isn't very bloody compared to other horror movies from that era.

The weird Luckers (1988; 94 mins; Rated R) is about a woman who has been tormented ever since her mother killed her father when she was a just a young girl. She starts having strange dreams and starts to believe that something from the supernatural world is coming to get her. This has some of the worst acting I have ever seen and despite the slow pacing, I actually liked it.

Monday Morning Madness #49: Workouts, Shakespeare's Champion & Speaking Other Languages

Well, it looks like for once I'm finally going to get this post published in the actual morning. I'm a little worn out from my new workout routines last week. I have been exercising late at night with the intention to move it into the early mornings, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I probably wait until tonight to do today's workout. There are days when I don't even want to exercise, but I somehow find a way to force myself. The good news is that I have lost 4 pounds since January 1st!

I did something I wasn't ever planning on doing - I shaved off my beard. I grew my beard around 14 or 15 years ago with the intention of never shaving it as my skin has a habit of breaking out when I shave. I can't explain it - I guess I just wanted to try something new, so I shaved it off. I have to admit that I do look a bit younger without my beard. Last week, I charged up my two old electric razors and used them, but they don't give a close shave. Today, I used a throwaway razor, which I didn't care for too much. However, I ordered a new electric razor on Friday, which I hope to receive sometime this week.

I plan on doing some personal reading this year; you know the books that I don't have to review on here. I went ahead and read 10 pages in Shakespeare's Champion by Charlaine Harris, one of the books I picked up at the thrift store over the weekend. Yeah, I know that 10 pages isn't a whole lot, but I only had about five minutes of free time to read yesterday. I do hope to read the entire book this week.

Wave 3 Smooth Dark Roast Organic Whole Beans Review

Yes, I do love a good cup of coffee every morning, so it should be no surprise that I wanted to try the Wave 3 Smooth Dark Roast Organic Whole Beans. Now I prefer to use coffee beans that I grind at home as it makes the coffee taste even more fresher.

Since everyone likes to be green these days, the Wave 3 coffee is USDA Certified Organic (Fair Trade & sustainably-grown). Each bean is hand selected and dark roasted the very same day via "third wave coffee roaster," which gives each batch an unique flavor.

Typically, your average cup of coffee would have just caffeine in it, but the Wave 3 has more than just caffeine. Actually, it is considered a superfood as it contains Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Manganese, Potassium, Magnesium and Niacin as well as antioxidants! Unlike other coffee brands that can leave you feeling a bit edgy, the Wave 3 leaves you with a nice wave of energy.

DVD Review - Scared Silly: 13 Classic Horror Comedies

Scared Silly: 13 Classic Horror Comedies
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Ava Gardner, Bela Lugosi, Jack Haley
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: January 13, 2015
Retail: $9.98
ASIN: B00OU4MTD8
Running Time: 15 hours 27 minutes
Rating: PG / NR / R
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

To kickoff the 2015, Mill Creek Entertainment is releasing a 3-disc set Scared Silly: 13 Classic Horror Comedies on Tuesday January 13, 2015, featuring Bela Lugosi, Jack Haley, Dick Miller, The Ritz Brothers, Dick Purrcell, John McCafferty and many other great actors.

One of the highlights from this set is the 1989 horror-comedy My Mom's A Werewolf, which I recall watching on Showtime in the early 90s. With the PG rating, one might think this was a family film, but I wouldn't let any young viewers watch it. The plot involves a bored housewife (played by Susan Blakely) attempting to have an affair, but it is bitten by a werewolf (played by John Saxon). As she starts to transform into a werewolf herself, it is up to her teenage daughter and friend to save the day. Yes, the special effects in the film is a low-budget one and the plot is a little cheesy, but it is still a likeable film. The picture quality on the film is pretty good compared to others in the set.

The only rated R film in this set is Deathrow Gameshow (1987), an unrated satire horror flick about death row convicts competing against each other in a life or death game show, where the winner gets to live. Things take an even twister turn when the game's host Chuck Toedan's life is threatened by a hitman that is hired by a deceased death row convict's family.

The other films include two East End Kids movies - Spooks Run Wild (1941) & Ghost On The Loose, The Gorilla (1939) staring The Ritz Brothers, the original Little Shop Of Horrors (1960), Creature From The Haunted Sea (1961), The Creeping Terror (1964), Manos: The Hands Of Fate (1966), One Body Too Many (1944), A Bucket of Blood (1959), King Of The Zombies (1941) and Treasure Of Fear (1945).

Blu-ray Review - The BoxTrolls

The BoxTrolls
Directors: Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi
Voice Cast: Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Elle Fanning, Ben Kingsley, Toni Collette, Jared Harris, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, Tracy Morgan
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: January 20, 2015
Retail: $49.98
ASIN: B00NFZ367Q
Running Time: 97 minutes
Rating: PG
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD on January 20th from Universal Studios Home Entertainment is last year  3D stop motion animated fantasy-comedy film "The BoxTrolls." Bonus Features include Dare to the Square: Behind the Scenes of the Boxtrolls, 5 Featurettes that Take You Inside the Magical World of The Boxtrolls, Feature Commentary with Directors Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi and the Blu-ray Exclusive - Preliminary Animatics Sequences.

Based on the children book  Here Be Monsters! by Alan Snow, The BoxTrolls is set in 1809 in the fictional town of Cheesebridge and centers on a group of subterranean trolls whom live underneath the streets. The outside word believes that the trolls kidnaps and kills little children, but in reality they are kind and shy creatures that wouldn't hurt a fly. They wear boxes and draw pictures on the boxes to represent their name.

Years ago, the trolls came across a human baby and they have been raising him ever since, naming him Eggs. Like the trolls, Eggs wheres a box and crawls out of the sewers at night to find goodies  that humans leave behind in their trash cans and on the street.

The Pest exterminator Archibald Snatcher (voiced by Ben Kingsley) has been obsessed with getting a white hat as only a member of the high society receives one. He finally makes a deal with the mayor that he will receive a white hat if  he catches all of the Boxtrolls, so one by one he begins catching the trolls, including Fish, the gentle troll who is Egg's best friend.

Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead-Wright) is now a young boy and begins to explore the outside world, which is where he befriends the mayor's daughter, Winnie (voiced by Elle Fanning). He unravels Snatcher's plans on destroying the trolls and sets out to find where Snatcher is keeping Fish and the other Trolls at. Somehow Eggs is going to come up with a plan to save the trolls and show the town that trolls are not the villains.

Book Blogger Hop: January 9th -15th

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com/p/blog-page.html" title="Book Blogger Hop"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOt0RYgWPUQnf3kA-v0oo7K3M_XUCRXnIqgD6TQq_AZvF1io_cpJBMsdw2qofrClgPPfmnXyED93umw7C5kkLx6I3MIqblMUgmtivsTfG2f07cyAcBoy-0WvVTtOjK5TUmJEaQ9EtDFUA/s1600/book+blogger+hop+.png" alt="Book Blogger Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
<br>

Welcome to the new Book Blogger Hop!

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

What to do:

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

  This week's question is submitted by Billy!

If you could have dinner with your favorite character, who would it be?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

  

My Answer: 

The first character that pops into my mind is Sookie Stackhouse from the "True Blood" books, but she can read minds, so I don't think that would be a good idea. The second character that pops into my mind is the immortal Lanore McIlvrae from the Taker trilogy. She was born just before or around the beginning of the 19th Century, so surely she has a lot to talk about.

Linky List:

Review - Masterpiece Marriage

Masterpiece Marriage
Quilts of Love Series
by Gina Welborn
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Pub. Date: December 16, 2014
Pages: 229
Buy Link: Amazon
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/gwelborn

Review:

If you follow my blog on regular basis, then you probably noticed that I have reviewed several books from the the Quilts of Love Series from Abingdon Press. Each book in the series features a different story and characters that are written by a different authors. The newest installment is titled Masterpiece Marriage and it is written by Gina Welborn.

The book is set in 1891 and centers on a man named Zenus Dane, who's textile mill was recently flooded. Due to the fact that his normal income has come to a halt, the bank has been pressuring him to pay off his loan. With no other choice, he is determined to salvage the textiles, but he will need his aunt's help as he wants to use her hand-drawn quilt patterns.

To his surprise, Mary Varrs, an Englishwoman, hires Aunt Priscilla to illustrate her prized tomato plants. Of course this is a love story, so you can pretty much guess what happens next - Zenus and Mary meet and quickly start to develop feelings for each other.

The Best Writing Tips Wednesdays Posts of 2014

It’s a new year! Happy New Year everyone!

I thought today I would share with you my favorite Coffee-Addicted Writer Writing Tips posts from 2014. Enjoy!

10 Simple Writing Exercises to Improve Your Writing Skills

Music to Listen to While Writing

Tips for Writing Horror from 5 Horror Masters

5 Sites that Will Help You Improve Your Grammar Skills

5 Signs of Weak Writing

6 Songs that were Made for Writers

5 Tips for Starting Anew

How to Give 100 Percent to Your Writing

Editing: Necessary or Not?

Grammar Rules Explained by Internet Memes

Here’s to a healthy, successful writing career in 2015!

Brenda is a fellow book-lover and coffee-addict. She is a freelance writer, punctuation nerd, and grammar enthusiast. Her favorite book genres are Science Fiction, Fantasy with a Twist, and Dystopian. Brenda blogs about books, writing and more at Daily Mayo. Find her here on CaW for Writing Tips Wednesdays the first Wednesday of every month.

Follow Brenda on Facebook and Twitter or subscribe to updates from Daily Mayo to keep up with all the exciting things in her life; ranging from drinking coffee to get through the day to drinking coffee just for fun.

Review - Judge Dredd: Mega-City Two

Judge Dredd: Mega-City Two
by Douglas Wolk
Illustrator: Ulises Farinas
Publisher: Diamond Book Distributors
Pub. Date: September 16, 2014
ASIN: 978-1631400803
Pages: 124
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

While I was well aware that Judge Dredd was a comic book series, I have never read a single issue that is until I read this one last year. However, I have seen both movies that have been made of the character.

Judge Dredd: Mega-City Two finds Judge Dredd being taking out of his comfort zone when he is placed in a Judge exchange program. He ends up in California, where a camera crew is constantly following him around. You can say that he is kinda upset that he is forced to carry a non-lethal gun. Los Angeles is no more, so the setting takes place in Mega-City. There are several stores in this book, even a story involving a giant mutated shrimp. Yes, I said that correctly.

Review - Doctor Who: Silhouette

Doctor Who: Silhouette
by Justin Richards
Publisher: Broadway Books
Pub. Date: September 9, 2014
ISBN: 978-0804140881
Pages: 256
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Despite being over fifty-years-old, the Doctor Who franchise is bigger than ever, but fans will have to wait until the ninth series (season) premieres later this year. The good news is that there are plenty of Doctor Who novelizations fans grab their hands on to keep them preoccupied until then.

Several new titles were released this past September, including Doctor Who: Silhouette by Justin Richards, which follows the 12th Doctor and his companion Clara along with their old pals - Madame Vastra, Strax, and Jenny. 

Set in Victorian London, Silhouette finds the Doctor and his companions investigating a murder and the strange occurrences at a Frost Fair on the River Thames. As a strange figure known as the Silhouette takes center stage, their journey will take them beyond the fair to the Carnival of Curiosities to unravel the mystery.

Beginning Waltz: A Step-By-Step Guide! Volume 2 Review

Beginning Waltz: A Step-By-Step Guide! Volume 2
Studio: DanceCrazy.com
Release Date: February 23, 2007
Retail: $39.95
ASIN: B000NDEWI0
Running Time: 53 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

I hope everyone is having a great 2015 so far! A new year is a great time to learn something new, like dancing. Yes, I said dancing. If you have kept up with my blog last year, then you probably read several other dancing DVDs review posts. Due to my bad knee, I didn't want to try out any high intensity workouts, though I have now brought back a few kickboxing workouts into my routine, so I had tried out several dancing DVDs. Despite my two left feet, I have enjoyed learning how to dance.

Last month, I tried out the Beginning Waltz: A Step-By-Step Guide! Volume 2 from DanceCrazy. Even if you're not a dancer, there is a good chance that you heard about the dance called the Waltz or you have seen it in a movie with classic stars like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

This DVD runs at almost 53 minutes and features a male and a female instructors, who give a step-by-step guide on how to do the Waltz. At the end of the DVD the instructors put all the moves together for a full dance sequence.

The moves featured on this DVD are:

Review - Bound by Night & Chained by Night

Click on the cover art to buy the book!

Last fall was definitely a little chaotic with me falling behind on a few reviews. I thought I had gotten caught up on everything, but lo and behold, I happened to come across two books I forgotten to read and review - Bound by Night and Chained by Night. Both books are part of The Moon Bound Clan Vampires series and are written by Larissa Ione. Therefore since the weekend was a cold and icy, I squeezed in time for some much needed reading.

Bound by Night (Pocket Books; 978-1476700175; 400 pages) is set in a world where vampires are slaves to humans that is until an uprising occurs, resulting in the death of many humans. Nicole Martin was just eight-years-old when her entire family was murdered in front of her. Barely surviving, Nicole devotes her live to finding a cure to vampirism, but her feelings kinda change when she starts to fall for a vampire from her past - Riker.

Riker is part of the renegade vampire MoonBound Clan and seeks out to avenge his kind that were once enslaved by the Martin family by kidnapping Nicole, but his plans forrevenge change when he falls in love with her.

Review - How To Survive Middle School and Monster Bots

How To Survive Middle School and Monster Bots
by Ron Bates
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Pub. Date: September 16, 2014
ISBN: 978-0310736080
Pages: 224
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

At first glance this book may in fact look like the next entry in the "Middle School" series by James Patterson, but instead it is the second installment in the "A Howard Boward Book" series by author Ron Bates.

How To Survive Middle School and Monster Bots centers on a nerdy boy named Howard Boward, who is dreading winter as he has to dodge snowballs from some of his bullies from Dolley Madison Middle School. Plus, his best-friend, Winnie McKinney, is no longer speaking to him.

His life takes a turn for the good when he learns there is going to be a robot-building contest and everybody knows that Howard is a science genius, so of course he is going to enter the contest and try to beat his archenemy Gerald "G-Force" Forester. Unfortunately, Howard hits a few brick walls with his robot design and the only way to make it work is to use his "monster goo" formula, which has a few unwanted side effects.

Right from the first chapter something really bothered me about this book - the narration! Though the character is a kid, he sounds like an adult, similar to Charlie Brown, except for Howard is more self-centered and unlikeable, which explains why the character can't make friends. I understand why writers are creating books that deal with kids being bullied, but Howard is a horrible character with a bad ego.

Book Blogger Hop: Jan. 2nd - 8th

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com/p/blog-page.html" title="Book Blogger Hop"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOt0RYgWPUQnf3kA-v0oo7K3M_XUCRXnIqgD6TQq_AZvF1io_cpJBMsdw2qofrClgPPfmnXyED93umw7C5kkLx6I3MIqblMUgmtivsTfG2f07cyAcBoy-0WvVTtOjK5TUmJEaQ9EtDFUA/s1600/book+blogger+hop+.png" alt="Book Blogger Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
<br>

Welcome to the new Book Blogger Hop!

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

What to do:

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

  This week's question is submitted by Billy!

What is your Blogger's New Year's Resolution?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

  

My Answer: 

reply to my blog's comments

schedule reviews for book blog tours ahead of time

visit other blogs more often

have less spoilers in my reviews

Linky List:

A Camera, Music and Old Spice!

While I attempted to list all my Christmas presents in this week's Monday Morning Madness, I forgot to mention a few other gifts that I received. My big present this year, and my favorite, was the Nikon Coolpix L830 Camera along with a bunch of essentials (SD cards, camera bag, etc.).

Another great gift of mine was a LIVE Sound Bar, not one of the expensive ones as it was purchased on Black Friday, but nevertheless it does work great at enhancing the sound on my 32 inch HD TV.

Of course I received three "geeky" t-shirts featuring M&M's characters, the Thundercats Logo and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I did already mention that these were "geeky" t-shirt, but it fits into my style. I also received Old Spice cologne, after shave and deodorant. In the past I have used Brute (which isn't sold in my area anymore) and AXE, which in my opinion this brand has lost its scent. Anyway, I'm going to give Old Spice a trying 2015!

While I don't typically buy my own presents, this year I did and it arrived on my doorsteps on Monday. It is one of those cheap Eclipse MP3 players. Yeah, I know I'm a little behind in technology, but I have been wanting one for awhile. Plus, I have plenty of music on my computer from Digital Copy downloads that come with every new music CD to put on the thing.